Title: Cat Shadows (2/?)
Author: Prospero Hibiki
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, Fox and WB Network. In no way are these aforementioned characters being used for my own personal profit, and this is not meant as an infringement of the copyright owned by any of the above entitys.
Rating: R (to be on the safe side)
Timeline: Immediately following the Season 2 episode "Halloween"
Spoilers: So far anything through "Halloween" is fair game...maybe more later.
Classification: Alternate Universe, anything else will become obvious as time passes.
Summary: Xander's possession during his sophomore year of high school did more to screw up his life than even he had thought at the time. Could what he'd considered his greatest failing be turned into an ability he could use, or would it ruin his second chance at happiness?
Author's Comments: After kicking this story around in my head for several months I've decided that I'd like to post the prologue to see if anyone thinks it has promise. That's actually pretty much it. I'll probably continue to write it even if people hate it, but comments from people who don't are always appreciated. Besides I kind of feel like actually posting things for a while instead of purely lurking.
xXx
Chapter 01: Romanticide
With a snarl and a flash of teeth I pounce down on the vampire I've been stalking for the past twenty minutes. The fight doesn't go as quickly as I'd hoped it would, but it goes well enough. I'm getting better at this stalking thing. Which is good because I really need to learn it. It's the single trait that is going to keep my feline ass attached to the rest of me. I'm not up for much yet beyond the occasional one on one scuffle, and even that has to be with surprise on my side. As a panther I'm not exactly cut out for going toe to toe with the vampires, and I've had to resort to dart and slash techniques to disable them before ripping off their heads with my paws and jaws or jabbing them in the heart with a stake held in my mouth.
The problems aren't just in the doing either. I mean none of this is like what I expected. It seems that the vision problem I'd discovered while trying to turn back into my lovable self the first time crossed over into my normal body. Meaning that Xander, reader of old books and provider of quality kibitz, is out of half of his normal job until I can purchase some decent reading glasses. It was kind of embarrassing to find that out too, since it happened while getting called on in the middle of class. Yeah the popular crowd really thought that was funny. My whiskers twitch at the memory as I slip into the darkness surrounding the Bronze once more. What was kind of strange though was that, despite the fact that she was laughing just as hard as everyone else, Cordelia had stopped a lot sooner than the others had and had even given me an incredibly peculiar look. Bah, probably nothing more than guilt over that whole Frankenstein thing in the old science lab.
Besides that though is a slight shift in personality. Nothing major, thank God, but little things. I mean I really like sunbeams now. I guess they were okay before, but now I really, really like them. I fell asleep in one of those comfortable chairs in the library for no other reason than it was lying in the sun. And my thought processes are just a little different too. Not in any insane way, but rather like I'm pulling together the information my senses are giving me differently. I'm more aware of what's going on around me at all times while I'm human. I don't even think I need to mention Buffy. Of course, if I was aware of her before I'm even more aware of her now. It's like someone calibrated my senses to kick into overdrive whenever they detect the smallest sign of a short blond Slayer of the undead.
Everything would probably be easier to deal with though if I actually told the others about what was going on. Cause they don't know. None of them. Not going to either because I get the feeling that the fewer people who know about this the less likelihood that the bad guys in town will connect Xander Harris, mild-mannered researcher for a major kicker of demon ass, with the black panther that is slowly learning how to kick demon ass himself. Which means that I'm not going to tell the gang anything unless something comes up that they need to know about. I won't lie to them about it. Of course if they flat out ask me if I turn into a cat whenever I get the chance, I won't deny it. For some reason I'm not that worried.
I really need to come up with a better way of doing these late night tests of my abilities. Okay, so I've managed to completely memorize the chant that controls my change to the point that I don't even have to really chant it. Instead I can just say it under my breath. No, the biggest problem I've been having is clothing. I mean, sure I don't need it while I'm a cat, but it's afterwards that is giving me problems. As it is I had to stash my clothes inside a little cutout in a neighbors retaining wall. It's a sketchy solution at best because it means that I have to leave my keys with my clothes or I'd never be able to get into my house; there's also the problem that anyone could come along and find them, at which point I'd be out of clothes when I needed them.
Sticking my head out of the alley I'm currently in I look both ways and then dart across the road when it appears that the coast is clear. I'd recently discovered that the unfortunate blindness that my fellow citizens of Sunnydale possess does not extend to large jungle cats when a police officer took some pot shots at me late at night a few days ago. Though I do wonder just what the hell that cop was doing out this late. Heh, he was probably new. Was probably being the operative word if he attracted as much attention to himself with those gunshots as I suspect he did.
My musings are cut off rather abruptly as I charge around a corner and crash headlong into someone. Dazed it takes me a second to shake off my confusion at the sudden stop. Which explains my surprise when I find my front paws placed on either side of the head of one Buffy Summers who seems just as surprised at being pinned by a panther as I am to be pinning her.
Buffy's voice is fairly shaky. "Woah, nice kitty." Inwardly I roll my eyes. Still this isn't exactly a situation I want to pass up so I give her face a long lick from chin to hair, springing away before the shock of it all wears off. Behind me I hear her indignant sputtering. "Hey, come back here you!" Not wanting to find out just how she'll deal with this I continue my getaway. Still I can't help but chuckle inwardly when I hear one last shout as I slip away in the darkness. "I've been slimed!"
It isn't until late that night that I sit up straight in bed and realize the significance of what happened earlier in the evening.
I kissed Buffy!
xXx
The next morning before classes start I'm very careful to seem to be napping in what has recently become my chair when Buffy enters the library. Of course that all gets thrown out the window when she slams the doors shut behind her.
"Okay I hope someone has a good explanation for what happened to me last night, or there is going to be one very unhappy Slayer on the Hellmouth."
Giles, being his usual observant self, looks up from his position behind the counter where he was reading a book. "Did something happen last night, Buffy?" When she glares at him he takes a step backwards before taking his glasses off and starts to polish them. "Yes, quite sorry. Pray tell what happened?"
"It attacked me!"
"Oh, thank you. That does indeed explain everything." Sure enough Giles is rolling his eyes. "What exactly was it that attacked you?"
I can't help but pitch in. "Was it bigger than a breadbox?" When both the Watcher and the Slayer direct glares at me I hold up my hands. "Okay, okay. I know when it's best to be quiet. I'll just be over here...taking a nap...where it's safe."
"As I was about to say, I don't know what it was. I know what it looked like, but it just doesn't make any sense."
"Things so rarely do in this town it seems." Giles sighs. "Very well then, what did it look like?"
"It was a cat."
Willow chirps back to paying attention from where she was working on the computer at one of the tables. "Was it a cute cat, because cats are cute, especially kittens. I've always wanted a kitten or even a regular cat because they're so cuddly though only when they want to be...and I'm babbling again aren't I? Okay I'm going back to the computer now."
Not being able to stop from laughing anymore I roll out of my chair. Which is probably just as well since my sides were starting to hurt from holding it all in. "So tell us Buffster, was it a big cat?"
"It's not funny! It was a big cat! It tackled me after just popping out of the shadows and had me pinned instantly. I just froze as it was over me and I stared at it's teeth."
Put that way I guess it was kind of scary. Giles must think so too because he asks the next question very calmly. "I'm sorry Buff. What happened next? How'd you get away?" Her muttered response is too quiet for me to pick, even if I know what she's trying to say from the way the blush is starting to travel up her neck. "What was that Buffy? I couldn't hear you."
"I said it licked me."
The library is completely silent for a minute because everyone's frozen including Willow's typing. The three of us just turn to stare at her. Unfortunately for her the silence doesn't last very long because Willow starts to snicker, something that sets me off right after. Even Giles looks to be fighting incredibly hard not to laugh, a task that he eventually fails. It takes a while but we manage to reign in our laughter.
"Oh, sure, laugh at the Slayer. I'll remember this next time some demon traps you all in the library. 'Oh, don't worry Buffy will save us! Or she would have if we hadn't laughed at her.' Yeah, I'll remember this." Turning around she folds her arms across her chest and flops down into one of the chairs and starts to pout. Of course this just sets the rest of us to laughing once again. This time though Buffy eventually joins in.
It takes her a while but she eventually tells us about the entire incident and how she was just so shocked by my entrance that she didn't even think about fighting back. Not that I told her that it was I that tackled her. Giles promised to look into any demons that could take the shape of animals though he doubted that it was dangerous.
"After all it had you in a perfect position to harm you and yet it did not." Buffy's response was only to mutter about cat slobber.
Five minutes before class was to start both Willow and Buffy gathered their things together and promised to come back to help during lunch. This of course let me get onto the real reason why I'd come to the library so early. I'd meant to talk to Giles alone but Willow had already been here when I'd arrived.
"So G-man, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me?"
"That does depend on what the question doesn't it?" Still I think he's caught the tentative nature of my approach and sets his book down once more. "What can I do for you, Xander?"
"I was, kind of, sort of, wondering if you could tell me where I'd be able to buy a good, cheap pair of reading glasses." The final part of the question comes out in such a rush that it's amazing that he understood me. But I guess deciphering Willow-babble has taught him a thing or two in the past year.
"I could tell you where I got my glasses when they were broken last year, but I'd imagine you'd know of more places than I would. You have after all lived in Sunnydale longer than I have."
"Yeah." We stand there staring at each other for a minute before I decide to give up. "Erm, never mind. Just forget I said anything." I'm to the door, bag over my shoulder, with my hand outstretched to push it open when his voice stops me.
"Xander, come here for a moment." I don't move. "Please, Xander?"
I drop my head down slightly so that my chin is only an inch or two away from my chest. My voice as it chokes out is raspy nothing at all like normal. "I need to go to class. Don't want to be late!" Neither of us are fooled because my feet haven't lifted from the floor since he stopped me.
"When did you notice that you needed reading glasses?"
"A week ago."
"The incident in history?"
It figures he knows. He could have found out any number of ways I guess. "Yeah." Turning around I toss my bag aside still refusing to look him in the eyes. I don't even know why. He of all people would understand the horror of losing once perfect vision.
"I see." Nothing more is said for a while and finally the silence gets to me. Looking up I almost roll my eyes at what I see. As usual when trying to stall for time, Giles has taken his glasses off and started to polish them on his shirt. His face however changes quickly from expression to expression as thoughts go through his head. Finally it settles into one and he puts his glasses on once more before looking up. Oddly I'm struck by the similarity between his current look and the one that Willow puts on when she is determined. "Pick up your backpack, Mr. Harris and come with me if you please. Let us go and purchase some glasses for you."
"Hunh?" Puzzled I grab my pack and follow him as he locks up his office and leaves the library. "I still have to get to class." I wave vaguely in the direction that my class is in.
Giles's reaction is to snort disdainfully. "Oh, and what good would going to class do you if you prove unable to read from your text books?"
"It's not that bad. It's just a little difficult to focus quickly."
"Which is precisely the reason why we're getting you glasses."
Looking at it that way I didn't see much room for argument.
xXx
"I don't know, Giles. I can't let you buy these for me. I still think I should just pick up a pair of those standard reading glasses we looked at..."
Sounding exasperated Giles cuts me off. "No, we bloody well aren't going to get a pair of those. We've already gone to the trouble of getting the necessary prescription for you, so all that's necessary is for you to pick out the frames. Besides having the wrong prescription causes eyestrain, which is something that we do not want."
"But it's too expensive!" I'd finally said it. We'd both been dancing around this issue for the hour we'd been out looking for glasses. I didn't want Giles' charity.
"Bah! I make enough money to live off of purely on my Watcher's salary. The money I've gotten from the school for being the librarian has gone almost completely untouched."
"I still can't take it!"
"You're acting like I'm going to give you a choice." I turn and look at him in shock. "Oh, did I forget to mention that? So hurry up and pick a set so we can get these made up. As it is it will be at least another hour until they're ready." Not bothering to hide his self-satisfied smirk any longer he grabs a pair of glasses that don't seem to have ear pieces on them. "What do you think about these?"
xXx
Walking into English class is interesting since I'm ten minutes late for the class and it's been over two hours since school started. Instantly I'm the center of attention for the entire class. The whispers of the students immediately, the loudest coming from the popular students' section.
"So good of you to finally join us Mr. Harris. However I believe you should talk to the principle about this tardiness of yours."
I shake my head in a denial and hold up my note. "I just came from there actually. Here's my note." Handing it to Mrs. Burns I wait for her to read.
Finishing it she nods. "I see. I do hope that this will improve your performance in my class. Now if you'd take a seat and read for us from the beginning of Hamlet's soliloquy."
Dodging an outstretched foot from a football player I make my way to my usual seat next to Willow and behind Buffy. Grinning at Willow I accept her book which is of course opened to the right place. Looking at the page I chuckle. "I'm sorry Mrs. Burns I can't believe I've forgotten already. This will take some getting used to." Reaching into my bag I grab the brand new glasses case and take out the small pair of glasses Giles and I had finally decided on. Well one of them at least. Giles had insisted on buying an additional two pairs that he would keep for me in the library in case of emergency. Setting the small pair of glasses on my nose I look through them at the page in question ignoring the gasps of surprise from the other students.
"To be or not to be, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the…"